Music at King's Chapel
The musical tradition of King's Chapel dates back to 1713 when the church became the first in New England to acquire an organ. The current C.B. Fisk instrument, King's Chapel's sixth organ, was installed in 1964.
Among the important musical events in the life of the young nation that took place at King's Chapel was the first "musical festival" in New England, held here on January 10, 1786. It took the form of a lengthy concert during the Morning Prayer service, including excerpts from Handel's Messiah. The newly founded Handel & Haydn Society gave its first public performance at King's Chapel on Christmas Day, 1815, and remains the oldest continuously performing arts organization in the United States.
The present music program at King's Chapel consists of service music, a Sunday concert series, and a Tuesday recital series. King's Chapel Music is a member of the Boston Choral Consortium.
Service Music
The King's Chapel Choir, consisting of 18 professional singers under the direction of Heinrich Christensen, sings at Morning Prayer on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and major holiday services from September through May. Approximately once a month, volunteers from the congregation are invited to join the choir for the Sunday morning service. During the summer months, individual choir members function as soloists and cantors for Sunday services.